Boonsboro’s Lady Warriors win MPSSAA Class 1A State Championship

May 28, 2011
Jaime Wright
TSR Freelance Reporter
(240) 409 – 0394
Rockrunner23@gmail.com

Boonsboro’s Lady Warriors win MPSSAA Class 1A State Championship
Cougars earn state runner-up honors at MPSSAA Class 1A State Championship

BALTIMORE—Boonsboro’s Lady Warriors became the ‘Golden Warriors’ as they claimed the Class 1A Girls Outdoor Track and Field MPSSAA title Saturday, May 29, 2011 at Morgan State University.

The Md. Class 1A girls’ state champions won their eighth state title since 2005. The Lady Warriors defeated Harford Tech, 108-100.

Six different Lady Warriors contributed to the team’s winning success.

Sophomore Abby Duncan claimed state titles in the girls’ 1A 100-meter (12.31) and 200-meter (25.47) dash. Duncan also took third place in the girls’ 1A 400-meter dash (58.89).

“I’m fine with [my performance],” Duncan said, “I’m pleased. I’ve worked and have done the best that I’ve could.”

Duncan said, “I’m very excited to be merging into the next level [of high school]. I’m hoping for the best.”

Lady Warriors Sarah Zielinski and Kortney Cunningham were both state medalists in the girls’ distance field. Cunningham and Zielinski placed fourth (5:25.38) and sixth (5:29.01), respectively, in the girls’ 1A 1600-meter run.

“I can’t really ask for [more],” Zielinski said about her 1600 performance, “I set a personal best.”

“It was a good race. I did the best that I could,” Cunningham said, “I dropped some time.”

In the girls’ 1A 3200-meter run, Zielinski took third (11:49.37) and Cunningham took fifth (12:29.60).

Smithsburg’s Lauren Johnson medaled with a sixth place finish in the 3200 (12:36.11). Johnson also took eighth place in the girls’ 1A 1600-meter run (5:35.30).

The Lady Leopards’ Jonelle Jerwick took the silver medal in girls’ 1A pole vault (11 feet) and earned fifth place in girls’ 1A 300 meter hurdles (48.59).

Boonsboro freshman hurdler Maggie Sullivan took two state titles in the girls’ 1A 100-meter hurdles (15.57) and 300-meter hurdles (46.88).

Lady Warrior thrower Becky Young won the girls’ 1A shot put with a throw of 36 feet, 6 inches. Young also took the silver medal in the girls’ 1A discus with a throw of 108 feet, 1 inch.

Young’s teammate Alicia Lauretti medaled in girls’ 1A discus with a throw of 87 feet, 1 inch, taking sixth place.

Boonsboro thrower Samantha Cochran also helped the Lady Warriors in girls’ 1A shot put with a throw of 30 feet, 8 ¼ inches. Cochran placed eighth.

Lady Cougar freshman Savannah Steinly surprised her coach and fans by winning the girls’ 1A 800-meter run with a time of 2:18.63 in a close race against Perryville freshman Jordan Dodson (2:18.71). Steinly also broke the Catoctin girls’ 800-meter school record.

“I wasn’t expecting [to win], honestly,” Steinly said, “I’m really excited. Hopefully, I’ll keep working harder, do my best, and improve my times.”

Steinly also became a state medalist in the 400-meter dash, alongside Duncan of Boonsboro, with a sixth-place time of 59.16.

Steinly’s teammate Hannah Stone helped the Lady Cougars in the jumping events. Stone won the girls 1A triple jump (37 feet, 8 ¼ inches), placed fourth in girls’ 1A long jump (16 feet, 8 ¾ inches) and took the silver medal in girls’ 1A high jump (5 feet, 6 inches).

Winters Mills’ Hannah Oneda won the 2A girls’ 1600-meter run with a time of 5:12.96, ahead of North Hagerstown’s Emily Ward (5:20.01).

“I wanted to take the first two [laps] pretty easy and see how the competition was,” Oneda said, “I wanted to surge on the last lap. I ended on a good note. I’m happy about it.”

“I’m really excited,” Ward said, “I didn’t expect to get second [place].”

Ward’s Lady Hub teammate Emily Simmons also became a state medalist in the girls 2A 1600, taking sixth place (5:28.54).
“I feel like I could have done better, but it was reasonable,” Simmons said. “I was going for 5:26.”

North Hagerstown also scored team points in the girls’ 2A 300-meter hurdles with Lady Hub Beth Wagner who earned fourth place (47.61). Wagner’s teammate Corie Anderson took 11th place (49.42).

“We were supposed to get fourth and seventh,” Wagner said, “to keep our team in it. And we did it!”

The Lady Hubs took second place with 75 team points. The Lady Lions of Liberty won the girls’ 2A state title with 78.50 points.
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Cougar boys take state runner-up honors

The Catoctin Cougars earned their second state runner-up finish with a total of 74 team points. The Cougars took second place earlier this track season at the 2011 MPSSAA indoor track and field championships.

Carver Vo-Tech won the boys 1A state meet with 108 points.

Williamsport’s Evan Hardy earned two state gold medals in the boys 1A 3200-meter (9:41.39) and 1600-meter run (4:22.26). Hardy also earned points for the Wildcats in the boys’ 1A 800-meter run with a seventh-place finish (2:01.90).

“I just wanted to sit on whoever was in front [of the pack]. I’m not that great at leading,” Hardy said. “I went for that last 300 [meters].”

Winter Mills’ senior Ryan Spangler won the boys 2A 1600-meter run in a time of 4:16.43.

“I felt good. I was able to hold onto [Creese] this time,” Spangler said, referring to senior Robbie Creese of Glenelg.

Spangler has committed to Shippensburg University of Pa. for the 2011-2012 school year.

Brunswick’s Luke Campbell earned the bronze in the boys’ 1A 300-meter hurdles, crossing the finish line in a time of 39.30 seconds.

“I felt pretty good,” Campbell said, “I got out of the blocks strong. I think I did better this time [than at the 1A West Region meet].”

Catoctin’s senior Deven Patterson took the gold in the boys’ 1A 200-meter dash. Patterson crossed the line in 22.04 seconds, just 0.53 seconds off of the boys’ 1A 200-meter Md. state record.

“I felt good,” Patterson said, “My start was really good, and I finished pretty well.”

“It was close [to a personal best],” Patterson said.

Last year, Catoctin finished seventh place at the 1A boys MPSSAA outdoor track and field championships.

Frederick County had another state medalist represented in the boys 2A 200-meter dash with Walkersville senior Jose Depadua.

Depadua took the silver in the 200 and ran a time of 22.44 seconds.

“I wanted to win,” Depadua said about his expectations. When asked about his performance, Depadua said, “I think it [was] a great accomplishment.”

Depadua certainly made a great accomplishment and helped Walkersville earn the MPSSAA boys 2A state championship.

Walkersville won the boys 2A state title with 54 points. The Century Knights took second place (50 points).

Last year, the Lions took second place to 2010 boys’ 2A MPSSAA state champions Oakland Mills’ Scorpions, 68-66.

Washington County 1A boys’ teams Williamsport, Boonsboro and Brunswick finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, which rounded out the top six team places at the MPSSAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

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